


Weaknesses

by Ischa



Category: Batman (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Brothers, Fix-It, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-23
Updated: 2014-12-23
Packaged: 2018-03-03 01:20:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2832947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ischa/pseuds/Ischa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After reading ‘Grooming’ (http://archiveofourown.org/works/175214) by K_dAzrael I had the urge to somehow fix Dick and Tim's relationship.<br/>Of course it's Jason who sets Dick's head straight again.<br/>I advice reading Grooming before this, but I guess you <i>could</i> read it on its own.<br/>Set during that time Dick was Batman and Damian his Robin. But I've taken liberties with the timeline. </p>
<p>
  <i>“Two fucking years, Jason!” Dick exploded. “Where have you been?”</i>
  <br/><i>“Saving a few minor planets and on one occasion the universe.” Jason answered, lighting a cigarette. “You are welcome by the way.”</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Weaknesses

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Grooming](https://archiveofourown.org/works/175214) by [K_dAzrael](https://archiveofourown.org/users/K_dAzrael/pseuds/K_dAzrael). 



> Beta by the lovely Icalynn.

“Well, I'm gone for a bit and you manage to fuck up your life and every meaningful relationship in it,” Jason said.

Dick shot his grapple and landed smoothly on the rooftop Jason was standing in the shadows of. 

“We thought you were dead,” Dick said. Anger and relief flooding his system. He wanted to punch and hug Jason at the same time. He settled for just standing on the rooftop and crossing his arms over his chest. The cape was falling over his shoulders reassuringly. And when did that fucking happen? 

“Surprise, I'm not. But wouldn't be the first time.” 

“Two fucking years, Jason!” Dick exploded. “Where have you been?” 

“Saving a few minor planets and on one occasion the universe.” Jason answered, lighting a cigarette. “You are welcome by the way.” 

“You were in space? Alone?” 

“I needed to get away from Gotham for a while. I took Kory and Roy,” Jason replied. 

“Into space?” Dick said, but he was also speculating about the nature of their relationship. It was in the way Kory's and Roy's names rolled from Jason's tongue with so much ease. 

Jason rolled his eyes behind his lenses. Dick could tell. 

“Some people go to Haiti, I needed something a bit further away.” 

Dick took a breath. “Why are you back then?” 

“Funny thing,” Jason said, exhaling smoke. “I missed my family.” 

“Oh,” Dick said. 

“Yeah, which brings me back to the main topic for tonight: You and your bad, bad choices in the last two years.” 

“I don't know what you mean,” Dick said stubbornly. He had a faint idea, maybe. 

“Don't bullshit me. You may wear his costume, but you're not him and I know you. You fucked up.” 

“How do you even know-” 

“First?” Jason interrupted, throwing his cigarette butt over the rooftop. “I've been back for a while now. So I had time to watch you. Second: I talked to Oracle and Red.” 

“Ah,” Dick said. “This is about Tim.”

“Yeah, you fucked up.” 

“I can't trust him-”

“Bullshit, again,” Jason said. “That the little freak has been in love with you since he first sat on your knees was no secret. You just chose to ignore it. That's on you. His love for you is what makes him the person you can trust. Like Babs. They would die for you.” 

“Damian would die for me,” Dick said stubbornly. 

“You would die for him, he would kill for you. He is obsessed with you.”

“He's not obsessed with me! Tim is the one with the photos-”

“Did you even look at them? For real? Or did you take Damian's word for it? I admit,” Jason said, lightning another cigarette, “It was smart to use Tim's love for you against you. To let you think it was a negative thing, even he had been feeling that way for most of his life.” He took a deep drag. “I'm gonna give you a minute to let that sink in.” 

Dick's head was reeling. Jason was right. Tim had felt that way for most of his life and it had never been a problem before. He had trusted Tim, why did he-? Because Tim had looked guilty. But Dick never questioned why. He just assumed. 

“I see the gears are turning. Damian played you.” 

“He's my partner, he-”

“Loves you, in his own special way?” Jason asked. 

Dick winced. “Jay.”

“You know, I even believe that you believe that, because you see the good in people. You think Damian needs someone to be there for him and that might be true too, but he is the only person in your life right now. Dick,” Jason said. “You don't even get laid anymore.”

Dick closed his eyes. He hasn’t. It was the truth. His last one night stand was more than six months ago. And he had no idea why Dominique hadn't called back. They had fun. The sex had been fucking fantastic. 

“It's not healthy,” Jason said. 

“B didn't have anyone special in his life.” 

“You aren't him. You need people to touch you, in every possible way. I'm sure Damian will try to be that for you too.” 

“He's a kid!” 

“Fourteen, Dick. How much longer? And he’s starting to be more affectionate with you. He's hugging you, is letting you invade his space. It's all a prelude.” 

“Prelude,” Dick repeated, rather tonelessly. 

“Yes, prelude to the claiming.” 

“We're talking about Damian here,” Dick said, but his mind was racing. All the things that had felt weird and not quite right, but didn't anymore. Was it because they did it so often the feeling of wrong became normal and henceforth not wrong anymore? Was he slowly being brainwashed? 

“You need to talk to him, Dick. You need to get back other people in your life. Babs, Tim for fuck's sake. He was always fair and never even tried to push his feelings on you.”

“If he cleverly pushed everyone away from me, or made me do it, what about you?” 

Jason crossed his arms over his chest. “I was never high on your go to list, besides once he got Roy to back down, he and I hooked up and then Kory kinda picked us up and we were in freaking space. I wasn't in Gotham often enough to be a threat.” 

It made sense. It also made sense that Jason was approaching him here and now. He knew their pattern, knew that Damian was working in another part of town. Jason had been planning this. 

Jason ran a hand through his hair. “Look, if you need someone to be there.” 

“I can handle it,” Dick replied. 

“Really? Because so far you’ve done a crappy job. You're a sucker for people who need you.” 

“I know,” Dick said, he just hadn't thought it could be a weakness, that someone he trusted would exploit it. “Thank you, Jason.” 

Jason nodded and then he was gone and Dick was left alone with his thoughts and a serious fucking problem he hadn't been aware he had. 

“Fuck,” he said with feeling. His life was a mess. 

~+~

“Did you run into trouble?” Damian asked once Dick was back in the Cave. He pushed the cowl away and looked at his Robin. 

“No.” 

“But you spent over twenty minutes on a rooftop-”

“Me and Jason had a chat.” 

“Todd is back?” Damian asked. 

“Yes.” 

“I thought he was dead,” Damian replied. It sounded more like 'I hoped he was dead' to Dick's ears now. He was getting a headache. 

“Evidently he isn't.”

“What did he want?” Damian asked, there was no indication what he felt about this, or what he wanted Dick to answer. 

“He missed his family.” 

“And he ambushed you to give you a hug, right,” Damian replied. 

“Damian, he is family,” Dick said. 

“I thought you and I were,” Damian replied. 

Yes, me too, Dick thought, but maybe Jason was right and Damian wanted something more. Something Dick wasn’t ready to give and would never be ready to give. He had been disturbed when he had been confronted with Tim’s feelings. The thought of them had just overwhelmed him and now – this here, was even bigger. 

“We are,” Dick said. 

Damian gave him a look. “Is he going to stay?” 

“Probably not,” Dick answered, he was pretty sure that Jason didn’t want any part of Gotham anymore. He was Red Hood all over the world and – other worlds too. 

Damian nodded. “Okay,” he uncrossed his arms and looked at Dick. “Pennyworth has made a snack. Want to eat together?” 

“Yes,” Dick said because that was what he always said. 

~+~

He called Jason because he didn’t have Roy’s number and then he listened to Roy retelling of that one time Damian had the Talk with him. It was kinda mortifying. Once Dick started he couldn’t stop. He talked to Babs and Steph, to some of his former lovers – those that would take his calls anyway. A whole world of blackmail and veiled threats was opening up. Damian had taken out everyone who he thought could come in between them a long time ago. The last six months…Dick had been isolated without even thinking it strange. 

“What are you doing, Dick?” Damian asked. 

Dick didn’t look away from his case files. It wasn’t about the case anyway. This was about all the people Dick was contacting. 

“Working,” he said anyway. 

“Don’t,” Damian said, there was that hurt quality in his voice, but now Dick wasn’t sure if he was really hurt or if that was a ploy, because Dick was a sucker for it. 

Dick sighed, turning in the chair, so he could look at his Robin. “What do you want me to say?”

“I want the truth,” Damian replied. 

“Yeah? How about you tell me what you were doing? For two years, Damian. And why?” 

Damian took a step back at the anger in Dick’s voice. “You were all too eager to let these people slip away. I mean, the bimbos you like to call girlfriends? Them I understand. They were too afraid. But the Capes? And Babs? That is on you.” 

“You manipulated me! And them!” Dick said sharply. “And don’t call them Bimbos.” 

Damian made that irritating ‘tt’ noise that Dick hadn’t missed for the last few years. “I’ll call them whatever I please, Richard.” 

“I don’t know why you did it, but it stops now.” 

Damian didn’t reply, but left the cave anyway. Dick didn’t fool himself into thinking this was over yet. Damian just wasn’t the kind of person to give up so easily, so why had everyone else around him been?  
Why did they give up? Why- he did push Tim away, that was on him and him alone and he still hadn’t had the guts to contact Tim, but Babs? Zatana? Even Steph. It was scary to think that Damian did all this when he was twelve. 

He probably did forge the photos too, at least some of them. It was all too easy to believe that Tim had never stopped spying on him. But then neither had Bruce when he was still around. 

Why, Dick asked himself now for the first time in two years, did he react the way he did towards Tim and his feelings? 

~+~

“I see you are thinking straight again.” Jason smirked around his cigarette. It was Jason and not the Red Hood and Dick was just Dick. He wasn’t really surprised that Jason knew where Dick liked to get his sugar fix after a long night. 

There was a gay joke in there somewhere, Dick thought wryly. “A second,” he said and went inside the bakery. He was back with two cups of coffee and two Danishes. He handed one coffee and Danish to Jason. 

“Thanks, wanna take a stroll?” Jason asked. 

Dick nodded. Being out of Gotham, being with Kory and Roy, it agreed with Jason, it seemed. It was funny how Dick’s former lovers with whom he hadn’t made it work, were so suited for his little brother. 

The morning was cool, but the sun was shining and those were the hours Dick lived for lately, because it showed him that there was good in Gotham after all. 

Jason flipped the butt of his cigarette on to the pavement and Dick kicked him in the ass, lightly. Jason grinned. 

“What are you doing here?” Dick asked. He had an idea, but these days he liked to be on the safe side. 

“Just checking in on you. You talked to the de- to Damian?” 

“Yes,” Dick said, frowning into his coffee. “He didn't try to lie about it. He had been isolating me, but I made it really fucking easy for him.” 

“You wonder why?” Jason asked, he was looking straight ahead. 

Dick sighed. “Well, I have been grieving, I was new to the whole B- thing, Bruce was dead, Tim, fuck, does he still think B is out there somewhere. Is he delusional?” 

Jason looked at him then, Dick could feel it. “I don't know. He could be. I've seen a shitload of strange stuff and then there is me of course.” 

“Yeah, I – fuck, Jay. I'm glad you're back,” Dick said and he meant it. “And I'm sorry, I was such a shitty brother when you lived with B and I'm sorry I was a shitty brother once you came back and-”

Jason nudged him in the ribs. None too gently. “It's okay. I was kinda crazy when I came back and you tried to be the good son. But you know, people disagree in families, our family just disagrees on a whole lot of other shit than normal families.” 

Like killing people, Dick thought. He knew that Jay didn't kill randomly and he knew that Jay usually didn't enjoy it either. He didn't have fun, but sometimes he felt satisfaction. Dick couldn't blame him. Jay took on the worst of the scum. Child molesters, rapists, and slave traders. And scum that sold children to other scum didn’t deserve to live. Dick couldn't kill them, but he wasn't going to condemn Jason for it. Not anymore. 

“Yeah,” Dick said. 

“Did you talk to Tim?” Jason asked. 

“No,” Dick answered. 

“Wonder why it's so hard for you to just pick up the phone or comm or what the hell ever?” Jason asked. He was doing that thing where he wasn't looking at Dick, but was very aware of everything Dick did. 

“Wasn't looking at it too closely,” Dick confessed. It was good to be able to talk about this mess he found himself in with someone who wasn't a part of it. Jason hadn't been pushed away – well, he was, but not because Damian wanted him out of the way. 

“Maybe you should,” Jason said. 

“Maybe. But really, the thing that bothers me is why Damian thought he needed to push other people out of my life.” 

“Your lives,” Jason said gently. 

“I guess.” 

“No,” Jason said, finishing his coffee and throwing the cup into a trashcan nearby. “Your lives. Yours and Damian's. He wants you for himself.”

“Yes, I got that part, Jay.” 

“No you haven’t, because you still think of him as a kid, Dick. He isn't. He wants you in all the ways you can want to have a person. And I fear he could step over a line in his obsession.” 

It sunk in then. Jason was afraid Damian could try to rape him. “What the fuck? He's fourteen and I am a grown man.” 

“And still,” Jason said. “He drove away all your friends and lovers and you didn't even know it. Wouldn't know it if it hadn't been for me. He's dangerous. And I know what you're gonna say. We all are, but Dick, fuck,” Jay ran a hand through his hair. “If he tries something like that, I'll have to kill that little shit.” 

“Jay,” Dick said and grabbed Jason, pulling him into a tight hug. “It's not wrong to love someone,” he added as he let go. 

“It's wrong to love someone that way, I'm not even sure if you can call it love,” Jason replied firmly. “Talk to Tim and get Damian a shrink.” 

Dick smiled. “I'll think about it.” 

Jason sighed and then fished out his cigarettes, lit one, and looked at Dick as he inhaled deeply. “Your call of course, but – fuck, just be safe. I can't always be here to save your ass.” 

“Thanks for coming this time, Jay.” 

“You're welcome, also you owe me one.” 

Dick smiled. “Cash in any time.”

“Don't think I won't,” Jason said grinning. 

Dick grinned back. 

~+~ 

Red Robin met him at R-Point 37, which used to be the one they liked to hang out on the best when Tim still had been Robin. They had what seemed to Dick a million lunches here. It was a safe place to have a conversation. No one could spy on them here. 

Tim kept his distance and Dick couldn't blame him. He had kept tabs on what Red Robin had been doing as far as anyone could track Red Robin down. He hadn't even been in the country for a long time. 

“So, Jason is back,” Tim said. 

Dick wasn’t surprised he knew. He nodded. “Yeah.” 

“But this is not about Jason,” Tim said. 

“It’s not. Listen,” Dick replied and wanted to be just Dick with Tim now and not Red Robin and Nightwing. He wanted to see Tim’s eyes. He wanted to hug Tim. He has fucking missed Tim. “I talked to Damian.” 

“About?” Tim asked carefully. 

“The photographs,” Dick said, looking straight at Tim’s face. The cowl was gone, he was wearing only a domino mask now. Dick wondered about that. 

“Dick,” Tim said. “It’s in the past. What is there to talk about?” 

“I was wrong not to believe you. I was wrong thinking that your feelings for me would somehow make you untrustworthy.” 

“I did take pictures of you,” Tim said. 

“Yes, I know when you were following me and Batman and later Jason. Those Damian gave to me were forged. Really good too, but that is no excuse.”

“So, this is an apology?” 

“Yes,” Dick said. It was more, but Dick wasn’t ready for the more now. “I’m worried about Damian,” Dick said, once Tim nodded to let him know that the apology was accepted. 

“And you should be,” Tim said. “He’s – I don’t actually know if he’s in love with you, but he chose you to be his partner. In every aspect of his life.” 

“Jason said the same thing,” Dick said. “What were you talking about before he handed me the photographs?” 

“I confronted him about what he was doing, blackmailing and threatening. He told me no one would believe me. You wouldn’t believe me. I was naïve enough to think you would. I was naïve enough to underestimate him.” There was something bitter in his voice and Dick wanted to make it all go away. He listened instead, because Tim wasn’t done yet. “He said that no one would believe that a 12 year old kid would groom a grown man to be his lover, because usually it was the other way around.” Tim looked at him then, crossing his arms over his chest. “He was right.” 

Shit, Dick thought. Shit. Damian was really scarily efficient. He knew Dick, knew Dick’s weaknesses and had used them in a way – Dick didn’t even want to think about it. 

“I’m sorry. I messed up.” 

“He manipulated you and everyone else. He used your love against you,” Tim said. “If he weren’t Bruce’s son and Robin-” he left that sentence unfinished. Batman needed a Robin after all.

“Tim,” Dick said. 

“What are you going to do about it?” Tim cut him off.

“I guess a good shrink would be an option?” 

Tim snorted, “Do you?” 

Dick liked seeing Tim amused. “I’ll just tell him that there is no way in hell I’ll be his partner outside of our professional relationship.” 

“I hope he understands that, Dick, I really do,” Tim said gently. He looked fragile and Dick ached. He curled and uncurled his fingers at his sides and Tim looked at them, then at Dick’s face and then smiled. A real Tim smile. He stepped into Dick’s personal space and hugged him. “I missed you too,” he whispered. 

“Fuck, Tim, fuck,” Dick said, crushing Tim’s body to his own. 

“It’s going to be alright. We are here for you. Both of you,” Tim said, but he wasn’t letting go and neither was Dick. 

Tim felt different in his arms than before, but then of course. Dick hadn’t had the opportunity to hug Tim for two freaking years. He wasn’t ready to let go any time soon. It seemed Tim wasn’t either. 

Dick wasn’t kidding himself about how hard it would be to make Damian understand what he was doing was wrong. He had no illusions about how deep Damian was into this idea. But he had Jason now and Tim. And was on his way to mend all his other relationships. 

“Thank you, Tim.” 

“You are welcome.”


End file.
